The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has warned that the child mortality rate in the Gaza Strip is unprecedented, due to famine and the ongoing deterioration of humanitarian conditions since the start of the Israeli war on October 7, 2023. UNICEF's Deputy Executive Director, Ted Chaiban, explained during a press briefing that children are suffering deeply, with hunger evident on their faces, and that current choices will determine the fate of tens of thousands of children.

During his recent trip to the Middle East, Chaiban visited Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, including Gaza and the West Bank, where he confirmed that the situation in Gaza is extremely tragic. He stated, "We are at a crossroads, and the decisions made now will determine whether children will survive or die."

He noted that more than 18,000 children have been killed since the beginning of the war, and the threat of famine endangers the lives of the population, with one in three people in Gaza going days without food, as the acute malnutrition rate exceeds 16.5 percent, which is above the famine threshold. He confirmed that more than 320,000 children are at risk of acute malnutrition.

Chaiban emphasized that the situation in Gaza is "inhumane," and that the solution lies in a permanent ceasefire and a political path that allows for progress. He called for the entry of at least 500 trucks daily through all routes to provide humanitarian and commercial aid, stressing the need for a regular flow of assistance.

In a related context, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that the number of victims of the Israeli starvation policy has risen to 162 deaths since October 7, including 92 children, after recording 3 deaths in the last 24 hours. Since May 27, Israel has imposed a new mechanism for distributing food aid through the crossings of the Gaza Strip, in cooperation with the United States, through the "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation" at four distribution centers in the southern and central Gaza Strip.

Since the start of this mechanism, more than 1,330 Palestinian fatalities and over 8,818 injuries have been reported in hospitals due to repeated gunfire on those waiting for aid, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. Israel, supported by the United States, is accused of committing genocide that includes killing, starvation, destruction, and displacement, ignoring international calls and orders from the International Court of Justice to cease military operations.

These operations have left more than 208,000 Palestinians dead or injured, with over 9,000 missing, in addition to hundreds of thousands displaced, and famine claiming many lives. Conditions continue to escalate, with humanitarian conditions deteriorating at an unprecedented rate, amid international calls to stop the aggression and open safe humanitarian corridors.